– I think about my own and not least my child’s health, says Ann-Karin Både. Many years ago she decided to ditch plastic. And her kitchen drawer leaves no doubt. – Over time, I have replaced plastic tools with steel and wood. And new research shows that just that may be a good idea. There are few plastic utensils in this drawer. Photo: Tom Edvindsen / news Food is contaminated by plastic At Mekjarvik in Rogaland, Norce and the North Atlantic Microplastics Center (NAMC) are located. Here, over time, researchers have simulated cooking with gelatin. – We have recreated ordinary cooking by having the jelly undergo heating, cooling, mixing, cutting and storage. That way we can find out how the food is contaminated by microplastics, says Alessio Gomiero who is a senior researcher at Norce and scientific coordinator for NAMC. Alessio Gomiero researches plastics that contaminate food. In the study, he used both new and old plastic kitchenware and equipment that did not contain plastic. To be able to study the small particles, he uses an infrared microscope. The pieces he’s looking for are smaller than five millimeters. – The smaller they are, the greater the chance that we get it into our bodies, into our tissues and organs, he says. What are microplastics Microplastics are small particles of plastic that are between 0.001 and 5 millimeters in size. Microplastics are formed when larger plastic objects are broken down into smaller parts. This happens, for example, when rubber wears off the wheels of the car while driving, when washing plastic-based clothes in a washing machine, when plastic left outside breaks down when exposed to sunlight, or when additives in plastic leak into water, so that the plastic becomes brittle and burst into small pieces. This is a larger piece of microplastic. Photo: Tom Edvindsen / news After 50 trials with kitchen utensils in either plastic, stainless steel or wood, the answers are clear. If you use food containers, cutting boards or measuring cups, whisks, pans or spoons that contain new or old plastic, there is a high risk that your food is full of microplastics, this study (external link) shows. Alessio Gomiero used ordinary food jelly during the experiments. Here he heats the gel in a Teflon pan while stirring with a plastic whisk. Photo: TOm Edvindsen / news The researchers calculated that if you use kitchen utensils that contain new or old plastic every day, this could mean close to 5,000 pieces of microplastic in your diet each year. – Plastic is in contact with our food every day via cutting boards and other kitchen equipment, so it is not surprising that microplastic ends up in the food we eat. But the crowd surprised us, says Gomiero. The invisible bits Emissions of microplastics are often invisible and the tiny particles are practically everywhere in the world. Including desolate places such as deep sea pits and glaciers. – Some of the microplastics we find in the sea come from completely different places in the world. Plastic originating from the American continent can end up in Europe and the North Sea, says Gomiero. – The plastic finds its way into our bodies, via the food we eat, says Alessio Gomiero, who has a PhD in environmental science from the University of Venice in Italy. Photo: Tom Edvindsen / news Several studies show that we humans have plastic in our bodies. To date, among other things, microplastics have been found in blood, liver, kidneys, breast milk and lungs. And in the human brain, writes The Guardian (external link). Will we get sick? But what happens to our bodies when we eat food that contains plastic? Now researchers from Sykehuset Innlandet are connected. – Our role is to initiate and identify studies where microplastics can be measured, says doctor and professor Tor A. Strand. Tor A. Strand is a doctor at Innlandet Hospital and a professor at the University of Bergen. Photo: Sverre Christian Jarild / VKM A study links microplastics in blood to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke (external link). The researchers at NAMC believe that more studies are needed to be able to see connections between plastic exposure and health outcomes. – This is a large collaborative project to shed light on the exposure to microplastics and the consequences for health. The project consists of researchers with different expertise and with different approaches, says Strand. But can we prevent microplastics from becoming part of our diet? Yes, say researchers. – Plastic pollution is difficult to reduce, because it is everywhere. But if we change our habits a little and if we rely more on innovative types of material, we will reduce our footprint on nature, says Gomiero. – Almost impossible Ann-Karin Both has chosen to have minimal plastic in her kitchen. But at the store, she finds it difficult to avoid food coming into contact with plastic. The recent study from NAMC does not address the use of plastic packaging on food. But other studies, such as this one from NTNU (external link), show that food packed in plastic packaging can be harmful to health. Therefore, the 39-year-old from Stavanger would prefer to have food without packaging. – I am primarily looking for products that do not have packaging, says Ann-Karin Både. Photo: Tom Edvindsen / news – I try to use my own net for fruit or vegetables in bulk, so I don’t have to take a plastic bag, she says. At the same time, she has learned over time that a plastic-free everyday life requires a lot of planning. – I worked hard and was very eager and committed. I still am, but it is almost impossible to find products without plastic packaging or other types of packaging. Ann-Karin Both does not like to use a plastic bag when she buys fruit at the store. Photo: Tom Edvindsen / news Now her project has slipped. She often ends up using plastic anyway. – I think I work like the vast majority of people and choose the simplest and fastest solutions to make the everyday mess go up. North Atlantic Microplastic Center NAMC – The North Atlantic Microplastic Centre, led by NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, aims to engage leading researchers nationally and internationally in a joint effort to establish knowledge about how much microplastic there is in the environment and our surroundings. Where the plastic comes from and what danger it poses to people and the environment. The total budget for the ongoing studies is NOK 22.5 million and is partly financed by Sparebanken Vest’s foundation Agenda Vestlandet and the trade environment fund. Published 05.10.2024, at 20.44
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Kitchen utensils can give large amounts of microplastics in food – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
